As a young man, Benjamin Tupper served as a soldier during the French and Indian War for two or three years.

[4] He engaged as major with Col. John Fellows' Massachusetts regiment at the beginning of the war in April 1775, several days after the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Describing an engagement of Tupper's gunboats with the British, Gen. George Washington wrote "... our officers and men, during the whole of the affair, behaved with great spirit and bravery.

During that year, Benjamin Tupper was appointed as surveyor for the state of Massachusetts for the surveying of the Seven Ranges in the Ohio Country.

[11][12][13] During 1787, he volunteered his services to Massachusetts militia Gen. William Shepard to assist in suppressing Shays' Rebellion; Gen. Tupper helped organize volunteers for the militia, and was with Gen Shepard defending the Springfield, Massachusetts armory when Shays attacked and was defeated.

"[4] During September 1788, Benjamin Tupper and Rufus Putnam were the justices of the first civil court in the Northwest Territory.

In consideration of the four different offices which he held, firstly as General in the service of the United States in the late war; secondly as member of the Society of the Cincinnati; thirdly as director of the Ohio Company; and fourthly as master among the Freemasons, therefore, because of these positions, great honors were shown his remains at the funeral.

[21]Benjamin Tupper is buried with many other Revolutionary War soldiers and pioneers at Mound Cemetery in Marietta.